Leak-obturating device for ships.



F. WULLYAMOZ &.G. MEYER.

LEAK OBTURATING DEVICE'FOR SHIPS.

AEPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1916. LQLQQQU Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

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F. WULLYAMOZ 8: G. MEYER.

LEAK OBTURATING DEVICE FOR SHiPS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. 1916.

Pammed Apr. 3, 1917,

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err r l 1 n a H LEAK-OBTURATING DEVICE FOR SHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Application filed September 19, 1916. Serial N 0. 120,966.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Fnnor'mio WULLYA- Moz, doctor of medicine, and Gusrnvn MEYER, manufacturer, citizens of Switzerland, residing at Lausanne, Canton of Vaud, in the Confederation of Switzerland, have invented cretain new and useful Improvements in Leak- Obturating Devices for Ships, of which the following is a specification.

The object of invention is the provision of a leak-obturating-device for ships which may be applied to any ship whatever for the purpose of rapidly obturating any leaks which may result from accident or other causes.

The device is based on the principle of applying to the leak a flexible curtain for example tarred cloth, caoutchouc or the like which extends over the hole producing the leak and is pressed against the sides of the ship by the pressure of the water in which the ship floats. This curtain is provided with suitable braces to prevent it from being pressed into the hole causing the leak, and also with a frame formed by a cushion having an air-chamber which may be filled with compressed air or gas, the said frame causing the joint of the curtain to be made tight all around the leak which is to be obturated. The device further comprises means for rapidly transporting the curtain to the point of the ship where the leak has been produced, as well as for applying the same to the leak.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of our invention. In this figure the cloth of which the curtain is formed is supposed to be transparent with the idea of having the structure more easily understood.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the curtain unfolded.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line A- -B of Fig. 2, the tubular frame of the curtain being inflated.

Fig. 4 is a similar section in which the tubular frame is shown as flattened by being compressed by the water and Fig. 5 is a side-view of the curtain in its unfolded condition.

In the construction shown in Fig. l, a designates the hull of a shipe in which a hole a has been produced beneath the waterline aa-y.

The hull a is fitted with two rails b and c on which is mounted a carriage d provided with rollers c. This carriage supports an obturating-curtain having a frame 7 formed of a tubular air-chamber adapted to be inflated with compressed air or gas supplied from a tank 9 which has an inlet tap or valve 9 Rigid bars it are employed to transmit to the said frame 7 the pressure of the water in which the ship is floated, and a cloth 2' of suitable material has its edges fixed to the frame 7 and is supported by the said bars h.

The thus constructed curtain may be rolled up on a roller Z which is fixed to its lower end and which may be raised up to the carriage when the apparatus is out of use.

When the carriage d is placed on the rails b, c, the curtain may be moved in its rolledup condition to a position above the place where the hull a has been punctured and has a leak. Then the curtain is rolled down and the pressure of the water forces the same against the hull of the ship by the action of the Water in its tendency to rush into the hole in the hull. The frame 7 having been placed in a suitable position when the curtain is rolled down it will extend over and beyond the hole so that it forms a sort of plaster having its frame tightly applied on all sides of the leak.

The rolling down of the curtain may be facilitated by having suitable cables used to act upon its lower end as shown in the Figs. 7 to 13 of the drawings.

The upper end of the frame f is suspended to the carriage d by means of chains or cables is and its lower end is fixed to a roller Z, the axis Z of which is suspended by suitable cables m which may be rolled up on a roller n as shown. On the other hand the axis Z may be connected to suitable chains or cables m which pass around the ship-hull a as shown in Fig. 6 and which are intended to pull the lower end of the curtain downward when the said curtain is to be unrolled. 0 is an electric motor to which current is supplied by means of a cable 0 and which may be employed to move the different parts of the hereinbefore described device. As shown in the drawing however, each of the said parts is manually operated, and Figs. 2 to 5 show clearly the construction of the device shown in perspective in Fig. 1.

In these figures the cloth of the curtam is shown by means of cross hatching. The

r of the water for the application of the cur- 7 ends of the bars are each bent in the form of abayonet as. shown in Figs. .3 and 4, and

r the said ends are" connected'to one another by means of links or members p each of.

which is provided with a pad intended to press] thecloth: against the air-chamber f. The roller Z on which the curtain is rolled 7 up when the apparatus-is not in use, ispro vided with an idle axis Z which is connected on the one hand to the cables or chains m by means. of which thesaid roller Z may be raised above the water-line, and on the other hand to the cablesor chains m which I are adapted to roll down and to lower the curtainwhile being pressed against the hull a of the ship. Therefore the curtain forms 'a sort of flexible sluice between the ship- I hull a and the water, whereby the said water'presses thesame against the hull and the frame f covers the leak a The bars h of the described device may be combined with. means for having the same magnetized so as tocause them to be attracted by the metallic parts of the shiphullin order to "cooperate with the pressure tain in stopping a leak. V 7

It is to be noted that the points at which the brace bars it pass through the cloth curtain i' are exterior to points of contact between the pneumatic frame and the bars and curtain so that passing the bars through Ggopfs of; this; patent may be obtained for frame, an obturating curtain carried by said frame and adapted to be placed against a surface to be repaired, and braces for said curtain and frame.

2. A leak stopper having a pneumatic frame, an obturating curtain connected to said frameand adapted to be placed against a surface to be repaired, and brace bars extending between opposite sides of said frame for supporting the same and the said curtain.

3. A leak stopper comprising a pneumatic frame, an obturating curtain connected to said frame and adapted to be placed against a surface to be repaired, brace bars extending along the inner side of said curtain between opposite parts of the said frame and extending through apertures provided therefor in the curtain adjacent the pneumatic frame and terminating at opposite sides of the said pneumatic frame and exteriorily thereof, and pads between the said curtain and the adjacent portions of the pneumatic frame-for causing those portions of the curtain intermediate of the brace bars and adjacent the pneumatic frame to press against the latter.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERIC WULLYAMOZ. GUSTA-VE MEYER,

' Witnesses:

Ron. DE VVURSTEMBERGER, LOUIS H. MUNIER.

five cents each, by addressing the. "Commissioner of Patents, 7 Washington, D. 0. 

